Vol. 38, No. 18

2-27-2007
By:

Civil rights issues, tort law intertwined

Chamallas’ Distinguished University Lecture to focus on why the two should be married

Civil rights issues need to be connected to tort law, according to Martha Chamallas, a professor in the Moritz College of Law.

Chamallas, who holds the Robert J. Lynn Chair in Law, will discuss how tort law, which deals with injuries against people, and civil rights law should be linked during her University Distinguished Lecture at 4:30 p.m. March 12 in the Wexner Center Film/Video Theater.

Her lecture, “Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: Race, Gender and Tort Law,” is free and will be followed by a reception.
In the lecture, Chamallas will discuss how issues of social justice — particularly the equitable treatment of women and minority social groups — rarely surface in personal injury litigation, with its seemingly neutral rules for determining duty, causation and damages.

She will argue, however, that this standard account of the law is flawed and that the shape of tort law has been affected by the social identity of the parties and prevailing cultural views on race and gender. Chamallas says it is time to import civil rights and human rights principles into the basic legal doctrine governing the trial of ordinary civil claims.

The lecture will be broadcast live on the Web at osu.edu/lecture.

The University Distinguished Lecture Series was inaugurated in 1996 as one of the university’s highest honors for a senior faculty member. The lectureship is awarded in recognition of outstanding academic achievement, particularly, but not exclusively, in research, scholarship or creative activity. The President’s and Provost’s Advisory Committee reviews nominations and recommends candidates to the president and the provost for final selection.

The Office of Academic Affairs presents an award of $5,000 to the University Distinguished Lecturer to designate for a purpose that promotes the academic goals of the lecturer’s college and/or of the university. Chamallas has designated her award for use by the Moritz Law Financial Aid Emergency Fund for current law students.

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